Nut and bolt lock ring



1961 R. Q. WILLIAMS 2,995,167

NUT AND BOLT LOCK RING Original Filed Feb. 17, 1955 INVENTOR, ROGER 0.WILL IAMS wogh t United States Patent 2,995,167 NUT AND BOLT LOCK RINGRoger Q. Williams, 343 Foothill Blvd., San Leandro, Calif. Originalapplication Feb. 17, 1955, Ser. No. 489,003, now

Patent No. 2,833,172, dated May 6, 1958. Divided and this applicationFeb. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 718,097

1 Claim. (Cl. 151-5) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec.266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by orfor the Government of the United States of America for governmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to lock ring installation tongs and moreparticularly to tongs having two jaws so constructed and arranged thatthey are adapted to cooperate with a special type of lock ring to forcethe ring into proper position for installation on a nut and boltassembly. This application is a division of US. patent applicationSerial No. 489,003, filed on February 17, 1955, issued as US. Patent No.2,833,172 on May 6, 1958.

In many mechanical applications, nut and bolt assemblies are subjectedto various forces such as friction, vibration, centrifugal force and soforth which tend to loosen the nut on the bolt. As a consequence,various devices have been provided for preventing the not from becomingloose on the bolt. Prior art devices for this purpose have employedcotterpins, tapered split pins, gang-type of safety wire threadedthrough the castellations of nuts and into holes provided in the bolts,and other similar devices. Such prior art devices have provendisadvantageous since they do not satisfactorily withstand vibrations,shock loads and especially the stress of passing through viscous fluidssuch as oil or grease.

Accordingly, a new type of lock ring has been developed for the abovepurpose. This new lock ring consists of a novel shaped spring memberwhich is adapted to remain securely in place about a nut and has atongue portion which passes through the castellations of the nut into acooperating hole in the bolt for maintaining the nut in position on thebolt at all times. This lock ring has proven very satisfactory inservice and has overcome the limitations found in prior art devices;however, assembly of the lock ring has created a special problem sinceit must be forced into operative position relative to the nut and boltin order to be properly assembled.

Consequently, a new type of tongs has been developed according to theaforementioned patent for mounting this type of lock ring in operativeposition.

The invention tongs employ a novel arrangement whereby the lock ring ismaintained securely in place and which enables the lock ring to bedistorted into the proper position such that it may be inserted in a nutand bolt assembly. The tongs thereby provide a means whereby the lockring may be quickly and efficiently installed ina nut and bolt assembly.

An object of the present invention is the provision of new and novellock ring for installation on a castellated nut and bolt assembly.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following detailed description when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a special type of lock ring according tothe invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the lock ring in position on a nut andbolt assembly; and

FIG. 3 is a view showing the lock ring being mounted on a nut and boltassembly with the aid of the invention tongs.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference charactersdesignate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,there is shown in FIG. 1 a new type of lock ring 10 which consists of aunitary piece of resilient material such as spring steel or the likehaving a substantially circular portion 11 one end of which has anupwardly extending portion 12 which is bent at a angle to the plane ofportion 10 and terminates in a second bent portion or tongue which isbent at a 90 angle to portion 12 and extends diametrically inward ofcircular portion 10 in a plane parallel thereto. It should be noted thatthe length of the tongue is substantially equal to the inner diameter ofthe circular portion of the lock ring whereby the tongue is adapted toextend entirely through a bolt and engage cooperating openings indiametrically opposite portions of a nut mounted ther on. In addition,the length of tongue 13 must be greater than the length of offsetportion 12 to enable the tongue to be depressed by the tool throughcircular portion 11,

as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a nut and bolt assemblyincluding a bolt 15 having a threaded end portion 16 and a nut 17threaded thereon. The nut has a circumferential groove 18 formedtherearound and a plurality of castellations 19 are formed on the up perportion of the nut, each castellation having a groove 20 formeddiametrically therethrough. Circular portion 11 of the lock ring seatstightly in groove 18, the portion 12 of the lock ring extendinglongitudinally along the outer periphery of the nut, and the tongue 13of the lock ring extending through diametrically opposite grooves 20formed in the nut and a cooperating hole (not shown) formeddiametrically through the bolt and aligned with the grooves. It isevident that the lock ring provides a means whereby the nut is securelylocked on the bolt and the assembly is enabled to withstand the variousforces to which it may be subjected without causing the nut to loosen onthe bolt.

It is apparent that the lock ring must be distorted in order for it tobe assembled as shown in FIG. 2 in a nut and bolt assembly. Referringnow to FIG. 3, the lock ring is shown in position within the jaws of thenovel tongs 26, wherein tongue 13 of the lock ring has been forceddownwardly below the plane of circular portion 11 of the lock ring suchthat tongue .13 may be inserted through one of the grooves 20 and intothe aligned hole in the bolt. When the tongue of the lock ring is soinserted, portion 11 of the lock ring lies across the top of the nut andbolt assembly as shown in FIG. 3 whereupon the tongs are removed and thelock ring forced over the far end of the nut by the use of a thin,elongated instrument such as an ice pick or the like, and the lock ringslides down along the outer surface of the nut into groove 18.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention maybe practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

I claim:

A locking device suitable for high vibration and shock loads, comprisinga castellated nut threaded to a bolt having a transversely drilledaperture adjacent one end and spaced therefrom, said aperture beingaligned with opposing castellations on the nut, said nut having anexternal circumferential groove lying in a transverse plane offset in adirection toward the other end of the bolt from a plane containing thedrilled aperture and opposed castallation, a unitary resilient lock ringhaving a substantially completely circular split-ring portion disposedin said groove in clamping relation, one end of the split-ring portionin a free condition having an upstanding leg of 3 4 a length equal tothe oflset between said planes, said leg References Cited in the file ofthis patent portion terminating in a tongue portion exteml'm"substantially parallel to the split-ring portion, the length of UNITEDSTATES PATENTS the tongue pontion being greater than the length of the1,084,642 1914 leg portion, said tongue portion being of a length sub- 51,641,489 Hood Sept 5, 1927 stantially the diameter of said split-ringportion so as to FOREKGN PATENT extend completely through the drilledaperture in said S bolt and to engage the opposing castellations of thenut 28251 Great Britain 1903 to provide a positive locking of the nut tothe bolt, said tongue being canted withrespect to the split-ring portion10 to resiliently engage the Wall of the drilled aperture.

